


Two Captains Are Better Than One

by CaptainJimothyCarter



Series: Steggy Week 2020 [4]
Category: Agent Carter (Marvel Short Film), Agent Carter (TV), Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Bucky Barnes & Peggy Carter Friendship, Captain America Steve Rogers, F/M, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Howard and Peggy's friendship, It's a giant AU for a reason, Modern AU, POV Peggy Carter, Peggy Carter as Captain America, Peggy Carter is Tony Stark's Godparent, SHIELD is just starting, Single Parent Howard Stark, Steggy - Freeform, Steggy Week 20, SteggyWeek20, Steve Rogers and the 21st Century, stevepeggy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:01:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25475803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainJimothyCarter/pseuds/CaptainJimothyCarter
Summary: Turns out Steve wasn't the first nor second person that Doctor Erksine had tested the serum on. As luck would have it, when he would be forced to crash the Valrkiye, he wouldn't be alone either.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, Peggy Carter & Howard Stark, Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers
Series: Steggy Week 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1837666
Comments: 6
Kudos: 42





	Two Captains Are Better Than One

The sun was blaring in Steve’s eyes and the large helmet did nothing to help the matter. He stood in line with the other cadets, nose wrinkled as he tried to stare ahead. Sweat ran from his temples and burned in his eyes, blinking rapidly to prevent himself from moving his hands to rub at it away.  
  
“ _Recruits attention!”  
_  
The accent is what first caught Steve’s attention first, one of the only things he could pick up amongst the low buzz of the cadets talking to one another. His eyes fell to a beautiful woman clad in a military uniform with red-stained lips and eyes like pools of honey. Her hair was done into beautiful Victorian curls. Steve had instantly straightened his crooked back at the authority tone in her voice.  
  
Or as straight as it could be.  
  
Yet, buzzing in his mind he _knew_ that woman. He knew her. He knew that voice at least, that facial structure with her high cheekbones and fair skin. He certainly knew those eyes. You didn’t get to spend weeks in bed with nothing to do but read and listen to radio programs and _not_ know who in the hell Captain America was.  
  
The problem was - just why in the hell was she here in Camp Lehigh and not serving the war?  
  
“ _Cadet Rogers, can I see you for a moment?”  
  
_Peggy couldn’t help, but to purse her lips as she watched the cadets file out, all but for Rogers towards Colonel Phillips. She waved her hand to dismiss Phillips's look of curiosity, wanting to address the problem at hand personally. She could handle it.  
  
Steve Rogers was a good head short than her, skinny as a pole with the brightest baby blue eyes that she’d ever seen. She swore if he tilted her head back any further in that helmet, he was going to topple over.  
  
She knew his file well, having read it over the last week. Doctor Erksine had _insisted_ that Steve was perfect for Project Rebirth and despite her trust in the German doctor, she couldn’t help but worry for the cadet. Already, she could hear the wheezing in his chest, telling her that he was close to an asthma attack. She’d have to sneak him a pack of asthma cigarettes or something to prevent _Hodge_ from being picked for Project Rebirth instead.  
  
“Y-Yes, ma’am?” Oh, he was nervous too. Peggy _tried_ her damn best not to let a fondness show for him when he stood before her. His feet together, back straight despite how he winced in pain with his hands behind his back. “You called for me?”  
  
Peggy gave a short, curt nod, letting her eyes trace over the man one final time. There was no doubt, a _look_ in those baby blue eyes that told her he knew something.  
  
“I did, cadet. Do you know me?”  
  
Steve’s face flushed the brightest shade of pink, the helmet covering the tips of his ears so Peggy couldn’t see how they burned the brightest. His eyes dashed towards her face, dropping back down to the muddy ground. “N-no, ma’am. This is the first time we’ve met.”  
  
“Is that so? Because I think you’re lying to me, Rogers. Or omitting the full truth. I don’t exactly need my secret being blabbed about all over the camp. When you first saw me, you had a look of...star stuck in your eyes.”  
  
Oh now, he was truly flushing a brighter shade of pink. Peggy almost felt bad, if not concerned for calling him out on the spot. She watched as his hand dashed to his nose, seeing him pull it away to inspect the droplets of crimson on his fingers.  
  
“Crikey, look at you.” Peggy sighed, pulling a white handkerchief out of her pocket and handing it over to Steve. “Are you alright?”  
  
“Th-thank-thank you, ma’am. I…” Steve trailed off as he held the handkerchief to his nose, bending his head back. “I apologize for lying to you. Yes, I do know who you are. You’re Captain America. You’ve singlehandedly turned the tide of the war for the better. I-I recognized your voice from the radio programs and- and your face from your comics.”  
  
His face started to grow shades of pink darker and Peggy took pity on him, rolling her eyes. Despite it, she wore a fond smile on her face.  
  
“Who taught you how to handle a nosebleed, cadet? Lean your head forward, not backward; we don’t need you choking on your own blood here.” Taking his head in a tender grasp, Peggy leaned him forward. At least his face didn’t look so terribly pale now.  
  
“Now, Steven...are we going to have a problem? I don’t need word getting out about my title. It _needs_ to be kept a secret.”  
  
Steve’s eyes flashed up to Peggy’s and she was slightly taken aback by how serious they were. “Your secret is safe with me, ma’am. _I promise.”  
  
_Later that evening, Peggy was startled to find a folded paper on her desk with her name address on it in scrawny, hurried handwriting.  
  
A fond smile formed as she sat down to open it, seeing a hand detailed drawn portrait of her as Captain America in a uniform that she hadn’t quite thought of yet. A red collard shirt with a white tie tucked inside of body armor. All in all, it did look quite efficient, especially with those trousers.  
  
Perhaps she should send this to Howard, to run these ideas by him. No doubt she was due for a wardrobe change and this one looked actually functional.  
  
Aware that a white fabric had landed on her desk, Peggy was happy to see that it was the handkerchief she’d loaned to Steve earlier. A smile pulled on those lips when she read the message scrawled across the back.  
  
_Your secret is safe with me. - S. Rogers  
_

* * *

  
Steve couldn’t help but stay kneeling on the ground, panting hard. His chest ached and there was a stitch at his side that wouldn’t go away. The men who had arrived in the van with Peggy had already hauled the body of the agent off of the docks.  
  
He hung his head, playing Erksine’s useless death over and over again in his head. He could’ve stopped it. Somehow. He should’ve stopped it.  
  
Erksine didn’t deserve to die.  
  
_“Steven.”  
  
_Peggy’s voice is soft as it reaches his ears and she’s looking down at him with concern. She kneels down in front of him and this close, Steve notes the freckles dashed across her cheek. There’s a light cut that’s sluggishly bleeding along her cheek. She looks worried for him, concern swimming in her eyes despite her facial expression remained guarded.  
  
“Are you okay?” She paused for just a second. “He’d be proud of you, you know? If it could only work once, he’d be proud that it was you.”  
  
Her hand touched his shoulder and while it didn’t hurt, Steve still flinched. He felt tender all over and that might’ve been from the fact he’s ran halfway across Brooklyn or the fact he was still tending to his new body. It still didn’t’ feel like _his_ body.  
  
“Physically,” Steve sighed, pulling away from her and climbing to his feet. “I know, I just...Erksine didn’t need to die. Not for this.”  
  
He held his hand out and despite she didn’t need it, he helped pull Peggy to her feet. He flinched as he damn well nearly jerked her and to his surprise, Peggy laughed.  
  
“You’ll get used to it,” she promised, righting herself and straightening her skirt. “For my first week alone, I’ve ripped off over ten doors. You should’ve seen Howard - he kept a damn tally of how much stuff I destroyed.”  
  
Peggy’s laughter alone made Steve’s lips twitch as he finally let go of her, not even aware he’d been holding onto her hand. “I hope so.”  
  
Colonel Phillips was waiting for them when they reached the SSR base, a stern look written across his face. The second they’d near him, he immediately leads the super soldiers away from the group of men who were carrying the minisub.  
  
In the empty office, he tossed down the close to the pair, Peggy flicking it open. Her eyes scanned the pages, looking up only at Phillips once.  
  
“Are you sure?” She asks, ignoring Steve’s questioning look.  
  
“I will be once Stark confirms it when that minisub is pulled apart.”  
  
Peggy had the decency to look surprised, raising an eyebrow as she closed the file and held it close to her body. “I was lead to believe it was nothing more than a cult.”  
  
“Things change,” Phillips grunted, looking straight at Steve as he said it. “You were the third person to have the Doctor’s serum used on, Rogers. Second was Carter here and third _John Schmidt.”  
  
_Steve at least attempted to look surprised, giving a sharp nod of his head. He wasn’t sure _where_ this was going but given by Peggy’s look, he was sure she had some idea. “I see. And Schmidt. He’s part of this...cut one head off...group?”  
  
“They’re called Hydra. Hydra is the Nazi deep science division. Erksine was held prisoner by Schmidt until I rescued him. As a meaning of thanks _and_ to prove that he was on our side amongst in an attempt to improve the serum, he tested it on me,” Peggy informed Steve.  
  
“Without permission, mind you,” Phillips huffed, causing Peggy to just clench her jaw. “Regardless of who has what, you both are flying to London tonight with Stark. I’ll be on the next flight in the morning. There are some loose ends I need to settle here.”  
  
The second he was out of the room, Peggy let out an irritable huff and rolled her eyes. “I don’t think he’ll _ever_ forgive me for being the first test subject outside of Schmidt.”  
  
Taking the file from Peggy, Steve sat down at the desk to look through it now that he had some permission. _“What?_ Did you go behind his back? I can’t see that of you. Not - _you.”  
  
_The way she looked at him caused Steve’s face to flush again as if to ask _what_ did he mean by that. “You can’t go behind someone’s back when you didn’t have permission, to begin with.”  
  


* * *

  
Bucky was all grins as he watched Peggy and Steve trudge up the hill, his arms loosely crossed over his chest. “You two look like some tired sacks of potatoes. A matching sack of potatoes.”  
  
Peggy raised an eyebrow at that comment, crossing her arms in a fashion that reminded the Sargeant of Steve. She _might’ve_ used Steve’s drawing to give Howard a few pointers on how she needed her uniform updated. With the proper protection, of course. It seems Howard had taken that red, white, and blue design and ran with it with not only Steve’s uniform too but both of their vibranium shields.  
  
Well, she can’t say she was too upset about matching Captain America.  
  
“If you’re so done commenting on our looks, Sergeant, we can get back to camp sooner rather than later,” Peggy huffed, kicking her shield up from the snow. “I don’t want to be out here more than necessary. We were only supposed to be gone for a handful of hours. The last we need is anyone to leave camp looking for us.”  
  
Steve had just pulled himself up over the hill, his breath lingering in the cold air when he heard _it._ The slightest sound of leaves crushing under a heavy boot. Limbs breaking underway. A soft click. He had turned away from Peggy and Bucky’s petty bickering to look for where the noise was coming from when Peggy just _dropped_ to the snow-covered ground.  
  
A sharp gasp escaped Peggy’s lips as she found herself laying on the hard, frozen ground, staring up at the gray sky above. For a split second, she couldn’t wrap her mind around what had caused her to drop so suddenly, why her ears were ringing. The pain hit her all at once, a bullet had torn through her shoulder, no doubt once been aimed for her head but thanks to Sargeant Barnes tomfoolery, she’d moved at the last second.  
  
Red stained the dark blue of her uniform, matching the red collard shirt beneath it. It oozed onto the snow below as Peggy let out a pained sound, a hand covering the wound to apply pressure.  
  
The ringing in her ears cleared well enough for the enhanced hearing to pick up the sound of someone running, boots striking the ground at a fast pace away from them. Leaving. His mission failed.  
  
_“Peggy!”  
  
_The world around her instantly rushed back into view, Bucky appearing in her line of sight. His face pales with worry as he dropped his rucksack next to her. Steve was right beside her, dropping to his knees as Bucky started to throw things out of the pack.  
  
“Peggy, _hey, hey_.”  
  
Steve did the best he could to keep the worry from his voice, but it was difficult given Peggy was laying on the ground, her hair splayed out around her and bleeding. He cupped her face, tilting it towards him. He did his best to smile, to keep the emotions at bay.  
  
“Steven, s-stop. I’m fine. It’s just a-a bullet…”  
  
Bucky scoffed, unable to help himself. Fingers working fast to throw open the first-aid kit and drag a pair of scissors over the uniform to expose her shoulder. “Just a bullet she says. Not like men haven’t been dying from just his wet boots alone, Carter. _Just a bullet. Bloody English.”  
  
_“C-Careful. You’re sounding just like one, Barnes,” Peggy joked despite the shiver that ran down her spine when she felt the cold scissors touch her skin and expose her shoulder to the cold air. “I’ll be fine. Advanced healing. I-”  
  
She turned her head to give a cough, the fall having knocked the wind out of her. Her chest ached liked she’d been struck by Steve’s shield again. She’d rather not relive that moment. “Fine. Just get the damn thing out of me and put some pressure on it so we can get out of here.”  
  
Steve and Bucky shared a look above her that Peggy told herself she would _not_ like what was going to come after that.  
  
And boy, was she right.  
  
Steve cupped Peggy’s face with a gentle touch, letting his hand slide down her neck before holding her arms down with as much force as he dared.  
  
“Pegs, look at me alright? You’re gonna be okay. I promise. You’re gonna be fine. Bucky will get this bullet outta ya and we’ll get right back to camp. You’re gonna be okay. We ain’t gonna -”  
  
Peggy stared _hard_ at Steve to the point that his face flushed with adrenaline had the decency to at least look sheepish. It only lasted for a matter of a second before she felt something hard and cold touch the bleeding wound. The pain had been bearable up until that point.  
  
She jerked her head back and screamed loud enough for the various birds to fly off when it echoed. Her body jerked and she now understood why the boys had shared a look, with Steve holding her down. Her ears rung as she tried to fight against Steve, her feet kicking up mud and snow. Through the ringing in her ears and Bucky’s orders to keep her still, Peggy could hear Steve repeating himself. Promising she’d be okay. She was going to be fine. She was going to be alright.  
  
He repeated it over and over again until Peggy was forced to glare at Steve through the sweat and tears burning her eyes.  
  
_“Steven,”_ she breathed harshly, her chest rapidly rising and falling.  
  
Steve's hand shook as he dared to let go from her unwounded side and touch her cheek before using a cloth to clean the sweat from her brow. “Yeah, Pegs? You doin’ great, love.”  
  
Ignoring the question, she continued. “If you tell me I am going to be okay _one_ more damn time, I will sock you in your jaw. Do you understand me, soldier?”  
  
To her right, Bucky snorted and bent his head over. When he pulled back, there was the bullet in hand, a satisfied grin on that cheesy face.  
  
With Peggy’s wound wrapped up and pressurized, already starting to heal, they sat back and breathed in the cold air for the moment. Steve looked sheepish as he let Peggy rest his head on his thigh, stroking her curls away from her face.  
  
Yeah, he was fucked. He was utterly and helplessly in love with her and all it took was Peggy Carter to threaten to break his jaw.  
  


* * *

  
“Peggy -”  
  
“Can it, Rogers. You’re not doing this alone.”  
  
Steve tried to suppress the smile as he brushed past Peggy to get to the controls. His heart sinking as he saw wherein the hell these bombs were set to land. The plane wouldn’t budge. There was only one choice.  
  
A look of understanding passed between him and Peggy as they stared at one another, the wind whipping around them. Peggy shook her head, to brush off any of Steve’s questions. Demands. For her to leave.  
  
Grabbing at the radio, she dialed in to the only station that she knew Phillips and Howard kept on their person.  
  
“ _Colonel. There’s no time, we have to crash the ship. People are going to die if we don’t. There’s no time to get Howard to see if he could assist us.”_

There was a beat of silence, the only sound around them was the wind, and the static on the other side of the com. Had their radios been lost? Damaged in the raid?  
  
The cracking on the other side came through to Phillip’s voice, the static unbearable until he finally clicked over.  
  
“Carter.” If Peggy wasn’t mistaken that was remorse in his voice. “We’ll search for you. I hope you know that. I can’t lose my best Agent, not no to some red freaking skull. And you too, Rogers. You might say you two have grown on me.”  
  
“I think that’s closest I’ve ever heard you say you have a heart, Colonel.” Howard’s voice caused both their hearts to leap. Steve sharing another look with Peggy as he gripped the controls, counting down the seconds.  
  
“I know you will, Colonel, Howard. I have full trust in the two of you that you’ll bring us home. And Howard…” Peggy felt her throat tighten up, tears stinging in her eyes that had nothing to do with the cold wind. The smell of the salt from the ocean was around them now. At the speed they were going...they had precious minutes.  
  
“ _And Howard..._ promise me something, okay? Be the best man that you can be. Don’t let your pride or greed get ahead of you in doing what is right. You’ll do amazing. I-I know it. We both do.”  
  
Steve swallowed, feeling like, up until then he shouldn’t weigh in. This was Peggy’s goodbye to them. The two people that knew Peggy better than others. He squeezed Peggy’s hand and cleared his throat. He could _hear_ the slightest sob on the other end from Howard.  
  
“Peggy’s right, Colonel. Bring us home, alright? R-right next to my ma, okay?” There was no need to deny it. They weren’t surviving this. There was no way in hell they could survive this. No one could. “And Howard, do me a favor, yeah? Keep those explosions to a minimum. You look better with eyebrows. You two -”  
  
The radio cut off, having lost its signal. It was dead silent without it, Steve’s breath caught in his throat. Peggy half sits in his lap, taking the other side of the steering column and gripping it with Steve. His arm is tight around her waist as if he could protect her from what’s to come. If anyone deserves to live, it’s Peggy.  
  
“You can leave, you know?” Peggy says right in his ear to avoid shouting. “Jump. It’s your right to continue living.”  
  
Steve laughs despite himself, squeezing Peggy closer. “And miss all the fun? Not a chance. I’m right where I need to be, Pegs. With you.”  
  
Forcing that smile, Peggy leans closer to Steve to share a tender kiss. The steering column slowly starts to tilt down, the sound of the engine failing and wind rushing around them. She can’t help herself, but to pull away and look out the broken plane of glass as the sheet of ice rushes to meet them. Their bodies tilted forward as the plane rushes to hit.  
  
She should turn away. She could hide her face. No one would know, but she would. No, if she was to die, Peggy Carter was going to stare death in the face.  
  


* * *

  
Peggy was the first one awake, staring at a white ceiling. The sound of the wind rustling a curtain, birds chirping outside, and kids playing outside a window were the first to reach her. _Then_ came the annoying sound of American baseball on the radio. Her body was alive with a new sort of pain that she’d never had felt before.  
  
Her nerves were burning as if she slept on her arm the wrong way and it was trying to wake the nerves up. Her fingers twitched and she could move her toes in these flats.  
  
It all rushed back to Peggy, to the point she sat up rapidly, her head spinning. A painful gasp shook her system. Steve was beside her in this double bed, eyes closed and looking to be at peace. For a second, she feared the worst until she sat his chest rise and fall and relief filled her. No, no Steve was alive. He was alive.  
  
They were alive. They both were alive, but _how_ in the hell did they survive such a crash?  
  
Steve woke up with a strangled gasp beside her and Peggy eased her hand on his chest. She smiled warmly at him as his eyes met hers and his hand covered her own.  
  
“Hello, darling,” Peggy breathed, looking warmly into his eyes. “Take it easy. I’m unsure _how_ but we’re alive.”  
  
“I don’t think heaven would hurt this much,” Steve agreed, slowly sitting up with a face twisted of pain. His teeth gritting. His limbs ached in a terrible manner. Muscles sore.  
  
It was then that Peggy saw exactly how _small_ he was. He wasn’t back to that 5’4, 94-pound boy. Steve still had muscle development but considering what it was before they crashed the plane, it was certainly less.  
  
The shirts they both wore said the SSR on them and Peggy frowned again, never having owned such a shirt.  
  
Come to think of it, wherein the hell were they? She’d gotten too lost in the fact that Steve was alive to focus on any other aspect. The room looked normal. Just a bed and a bedside table holding the radio. The window had a white curtain on it, the curtain flapping in the wind.  
  
She watched as Steve picked up the radio, turning it over in his hand. He looked troubled.  
  
“Darling, what is it? I thought you liked baseball?”  
  
“I do. Just not...a game I’ve been to in person. Bucky took me for my twelfth birthday, it was the only time I felt _good_ enough to get out of the house. We shared hot dogs and peanuts. He caught me the foul ball.”  
  
Peggy smiled bittersweetly at the memory, lost in the sediment until Steve’s words dawned on her. “A game you’ve been to? Why would a game you’ve been to be playing live? Where in the _hell_ -”  
  
Their question was answered when the door opened. The Captains were instantly on their feet, Peggy standing in front of Steve. She felt unsteady and dizzy on her feet but still planted them on the floor to keep herself stable. Not the worst condition she’s fought in.  
  
The person in the doorway’s face was hidden behind a purple vase full of sunflowers. The gesture caught Peggy so off guard that for just a second thought she had the feeling she’s seen those scarred hands before and _knew_ those sunflowers were someone’s trademark. Could it be?  
  
She shared a look with Steve before coming forward, lowering the vase with a startling gasp.  
  
“ _Howard?”  
  
_Steve’s eyes widened as Peggy lowered the vase and very much behind it was Howard Stark. The man looked a little older with a few more wrinkles around his soft, brown eyes and still his trademark mustache. He still had that boyish, eccentric disposition about him.  
  
Peggy took a step back until Steve touched her lower back and they _stared_ at the man for a good, long minute.  
  
“Hi, Pegs, Steve. I told you we’d find you.”  
  
There were tears shining in those brown eyes of his. They spilled over as he set the vase down and the door was swung shut, locking them inside.  
  
No one moved, no one breathed, not right off. It felt like a staredown until Howard broke the silence, always one not to be able to stand it. He shook his head as the tears just rolled down his face and Peggy covered her mouth to try to stop herself from tearing up.  
  
Steve felt his heart in his throat, swallowing past the bulge. “Howard, how-how are we exactly alive?”  
  
The genius dressed in the brightest yellow, pink, and blue-spotted dress shirt nodded towards the bed for them to sit. Steve was so distracted by the shirt, so unlike something he’d wear during the war that it took Peggy pulling on his hand for him to sit down.  
  
“You shouldn’t be,” Howard said immediately, ruffling at his hair. It was longer than what he’d kept it, strands falling across his forehead. “Neither of you should be. Technically neither should I, I guess.” He shrugged his shoulders, not bothering to answer either of their questionable looks. “Point is, we’re unsure how. We just know you are. I have my theories, but nothing set in stone, you know?”  
  
At this point, as Howard paced the small room, it was clear he was more talking to himself than them. His hand was rubbing over the stubble on his jawline right when Peggy clocked the silver band across his ring finger. Her heart sunk on the matter. It would’ve taken Howard a few weeks to find them and there was no way in that time, Howard would’ve settled down and _married._ No, he enjoyed the bachelor’s life too much.  
  
Steve had clocked on it too, looking at Peggy and taking her hand. His gut instinct told him that this wasn’t good.  
  
“- _blood,_ you two were exposed to vita-ray, so that is another theory. I’ve even theorized that kiss you two gave in the back of Colonel Phillip’s car. Either way, it’s -”  
  
“ _Howard.”_ Steve had said his name a little too harshly, but it was enough to cause Howard to stop in his track and mid-sentence, turning to look at the pair on the bed as if he’d noticed them for the first time.  
  
“Howard, darling...how long have we been...away?” Peggy spoke her words carefully, unsure of how to exactly word them. Unsure if she even wanted to know the answer.  
  
The last she expected was for Howard’s eyes to brim with tears all over again, the habit of smoothing his hand through his hair becoming more noticeable as he refused to stop touching it. The reaction alone made her heart to drop straight into her stomach. She stood up and wrapped her friend in a tight hug, Howard sinking against her. He held onto her, as if he was afraid of ever losing her again, nails biting into her shoulder.  
  
“I tried Pegs. I tried,” he breathed, shaking his head. “I never gave up. I never stopped. I always kept looking. Always held hope, but the-the time passing. And Jarvis, then-then the SSR, and Phillips. And Maria… I _promise_ I kept looking.” The man was a blabbering mess, saying half-heard names and words that Peggy didn’t recognize. She just held her friend close, tenderly kissing his temple.  
  
She’d never seen him so broken before and this close, she noted the bags under his eyes and the way his hands shook. Had he even been taking care of himself in these last few days? It looked like he was on another five-day binge and that alone was trying to spend to figure out exactly how Hydra got cyanide into a fake tooth without risking the capsule breaking and killing the agent prematurely.  
  
_“Seventy years.”  
  
_The words were whispered, but it was enough for Steve and Peggy both to hear.  
  
Steve swallowed thickly as he stood up, feeling his blood run cold. He laid his hand on Peggy’s back to support her as she let go of Howard. The shock is written across both of their faces.  
  
“I-I’m sorry. Did you say _seventy_ years?” Steve whispered, squeezing Peggy’s hand a little too hard. “Howard, how is that possible? We wouldn’t have been able to survive? But you-you look so young!”  
  
The man’s face had turned almost sheepish amongst the shock and tinge of red as he cried. It was Peggy who put two and two together and she grew absolutely furious.  
  
_“You didn’t,”_ she hissed, taking a step forward and backing the man into the corner. “You didn’t! Howard Stark, we had an agreement! That was to be used as an emergency only! You were never to use the serum again in the first place or recreate it for your own greed use! What in the _hell_ were you thinking?”  
  
Steve had never seen the genius look so small, his heart torn between rescuing the man because Peggy was in shock and angry and taking it out on him and understanding why Peggy was mad. Thankfully, Howard could handle himself.  
  
“I was thinking of you! I was thinking of finding you and Steven! I was thinking of finding my b-best friends and the reason why we were able to end the war in the first place!” Howard’s voice cracked and it was _clear_ how much pressure had been on him. The pain that he must’ve suffered over seven decades cracking him. “I was thinking of finding my friends and being sure they got at least the burial they deserved. I _swear_ to you, Pegs that I didn’t sell the serum or use it. I recreated it. Yours is still hidden. I recreated just enough for the youthful aspect, the slower aging so I had time to find you in between the work.”  
  
Peggy felt herself calm down, the fire in her heart being extinguished as Howard let out a painful sob. This was an obsession of his, it had turned from a rescue mission to body retrial, to an obsession. Her words clung to him and had dug deep.  
  
This time even Steve rose from the bed to hug Howard, very much clear that he needed the both of them.  
  
Howard sagged into them and Peggy closed her eyes, letting Steve pull her closer and just _grateful_ that they were alive.  
  
Even if it was 70 years in the future, at least she had Steve and Howard.  
  
“You-you need to...you need to - Oh Pegs, Steve…” Howard tried to clean his face off, shaking his head as he stepped back with a shaky grin. “You two need to meet your god-son! He’s with Jarvis. Tony. I-I named him Anthony. You’re going to love him.”  
  


* * *

  
Six month old baby Tony giggled as Peggy cradled him in her arms, the sound of the coffeeshop calming to the woman. Peggy couldn’t help the smile on her face as she looked down at that chubby face with eyes just like his father. She wagged her finger in his face, causing him to grab onto it and let out a loud, shrill of a laugh that caused her to flinch and Steve to jump beside her.  
  
Steve laughed and looked down at Tony, rubbing his belly. “Any louder, kiddo and you’re gonna break the glass.”  
  
“You sure you don’t wanna hold him, Steve?” Howard asked, passing out the coffee he’d brought from the counter. “Trust me, you’re not gonna hurt him. Look at Pegs.”  
  
“No thank you. I still don’t trust myself with kids after the whole showboating. Always felt awkward.” Steve was looking at Peggy. He was watching the wedding band across her finger glitter in the light. It was tarnished and old by _several_ decades, but it was the only one he could think she deserved.  
  
It had been his mother’s, left behind for when she died. Winnie Barnes had kept it in a storage box in the bank for Steve, for when he came home.  
  
They had married just two weeks after waking up in the 21st Century, after settling into a new apartment that could offer them a comfortable life. It had been a mutual decision that was greeted with agreement by Howard and Howard’s butler Jarvis. Even a little three-month-old Tony at the time screamed for joy when the pair had slipped the rings on and kissed.  
  
Or that might’ve been for the fact a cat had walked by the marriage office’s window.  
  
Seeing Steve’s charming smile, Peggy leaned over and brushed her lips over his, proving him wrong by taking Tony and gently placing him in his arms. She adjusted the way he held the boy and gave a satisfied smile.  
  
“Hush, you. He’s perfectly safe in your arms. Nowhere safer.” Peggy argued, pecking his lips again.  
  
Now that her hands were free she picked up the coffee to sip on it, looking down at the file Howard had given them.  
  
The man looked nervous as Peggy looked through the pages, a frown on her lips as she studied the SSR stamp. “Now you say the SSR fell apart about...ten years ago? I’m amazed it lasted that long.”  
  
Howard laughed, unable to help himself. “So am I. I think everyone was surprised. Phillips and I saw the signs and before he...died, we had started to get a-a new organization in place. That’s where you two were. It’s far new and I-I am in no sort to lead it. It’s called SHIELD. Strategic, Homeland, Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division.”  
  
“That’s certainly a mouthful,” Steve chuckled, brushing black hair off of Tony’s forehead. “A big mouthful. SHIELD, it...it works perfectly.” And it went without saying _who_ SHIELD was named after in his grief.  
  
“So, you see...given your history with the SSR and SOE, Peggy I thought… Well, I certainly don’t have the skills you do. I work best behind the scene and in the lab. Plus, there’s baby Tony and sure Jarvis and Ana would have no problem babysitting, I just thought, that since…” Howard was doing that rambling thing he did when he got nervous. Something Peggy had started to notice that now stimmed from his years of obsession with finding them.  
  
“You-you don’t have to say yes, of course. The both of you. I understand if you say no too. It’s a _lot_ to consider given the circumstances. You’re only just coming to and finding yourselves again. I just ask that you -”  
  
Howard had stopped rambling when Peggy caught his waving hand across the table. She held it in her own and gave him a warm smile. He looked older now that she could see him in the natural sunlight. Salt and pepper hair started to flake in his hair. Howard had told them how his wife, Maria had died giving birth to Tony and he’d raised Tony so far with the help of Jarvis and Ana.  
  
Jarvis had been excited to meet Peggy and Steve, considering it an honor. He was over the top polite and British and Ana just _adored_ the pair.  
  
A tinkling of metal caught Peggy’s attention, watching Steve pull his dog tags from Tony’s grip. She saw three on there, feeling just how heavy her own were. _Rogers, Barnes, M. Carter, P. Carter._ Peggy sighed as she traced over them, knowing Steve wore tags that said his own name, Barnes, and hers.  
  
The Carter-Rogers shared a long look between them, a silent conversation passing between them in just a span of seconds before Peggy was looking back at Howard.  
  
“You’re right...the organization is quite young and will need a steady head and hand to lead it into the greatness it is destined to be. Where it should be.” She paused and squeezed Howard’s hands, slowly pulling back to close the file and look up at her life-long best friend.  
  
“We’ll do it. Steven and I will lead SHIELD.”

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact I found out while reading TFA script: Steve doesn't know how to swim. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! I appreciate every comment and kudo I get. I'm sorry this is just a day late.


End file.
